The chef is the head of the kitchen at a restaurant.
In general, a chef is a trained food preparation professional who cooks for other people. In high-end restaurants, the term is typically used to describe the chief cook, who manages the kitchen and its staff. Chefs arrive at their positions through a variety of educational paths.
Colleges
One path to a career as a chef is earning either a two- or four-year college degree. Students who want to pursue this option major in hospitality or culinary arts. The degree helps the graduate get an entry-level position on the kitchen staff at a restaurant, which must be followed by 5 to 10 years of professional experience before she gets to take charge of her own kitchen.
Technical School
A culinary arts technical school or cooking school is another educational option for an aspiring chef. These training programs are heavy on hands-on cooking and food preparation and often provide job placement services upon graduation. Some get their technical training as cooks in the military as well. Like those who attend colleges, technical school graduates also must gain several years' experience in the field to work their way up to the position of chef.
Apprenticeship Programs
Some chefs get to the post without attending any formal cooking school. Many of these cooks attach themselves to master chefs as apprentices to learn the tricks of the trade, and then work their way up through the ranks until they attain management positions. These training programs typically involve at least 10 years of supervised, hands-on time in the kitchen to prepare the apprentice to run a kitchen of his own.
Tags: cooking school, culinary arts, food preparation, kitchen staff, technical school
